One has to admit, whether it was in 2014 or for a long time afterward, academia was always rife with all sorts of messy affairs.
Where there are people, there are conflicts, let alone the academic world, which has many people and is a place where one can gain great fame and fortune. There will always be those with ill intentions who do bad things.
Even though Qingshui's achievements were verified under the joint witness of the entire mathematics and physics departments of Peking University, Senior Academician Jiang still had to use his prestige and influence to help a promising young top scientist like Qingshui, isolating him as much as possible from such things happening to him.
He was old, his energy was not what it used to be, and he no longer had the sharp academic sensitivity of his youth. He had already acquired most of the status and honors he deserved, so he could focus his attention on this aspect.
After uploading the paper to arXiv and seeing that the post was awaiting review, Qingshui closed the website and opened his email.
Old Meng had sent the email.
He extracted the compressed file, which contained three folders.
The first was the Mohist Sect's Non-Aggression Sword Art, the second was the complete version of Divine Mechanisms of the Mohist Sect, and the third contained the subsequent content of the Mohist Qi Cultivation Art.
Each folder also included accompanying research papers and related operational videos, all written and filmed according to strict academic standards.
Qingshui's current swordsmanship level was very high. He could discern the power and subtlety of the Non-Aggression Sword Art after a quick glance.
The Non-Aggression Sword Art consisted of two sets. The first set was still called Non-Aggression, with seven moves in total. The second set was called Punishment, with nine moves. They were interconnected, and each move and stance could be transformed at any time.
Mozi believed that "attack" and "punishment" were different. Attacking the innocent was an attack, while punishing the guilty was punishment. The former was unjust, hence "non-aggression." An attack that was just was not an attack; it was "punishing the lawless" and "benefiting others."
The seven swords of Non-Aggression focused on defense. The moves were not complicated, being balanced and peaceful. Even someone with mediocre swordsmanship talent could achieve something with diligent practice. Even when facing an opponent stronger than themselves, they could act like a turtle shell, adapting to each move and maintaining a steady defense.
The most important thing was that none of the seven swords of Non-Aggression were killing moves; all offensive moves only injured, but were not fatal.
The nine swords of Punishment were a variation of the Non-Aggression Sword Art, combining offense and defense. They started defensively, then transitioned to offense, turning defense into offense. They could injure or kill, changing freely, swiftly and sharply.
The two sets of sword arts were not superior or inferior to each other; they simply had different focuses. In the hands of a master, the seven swords of Non-Aggression might not be inferior to the nine swords of Punishment. In fact, the seven swords of Non-Aggression subtly countered the nine swords of Punishment.
Perhaps this was intentionally done by the creator.
The concept behind the Non-Aggression Sword Art was something Qingshui had never seen before. It was simple yet exquisite, subtly embodying the principle of "the great Dao is simple," yet it could also be combined to produce various brilliant coordinations.
Theoretically, the seven swords of Non-Aggression alone could result in (7)! variations.
That is, 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1, which equals 5040.
Although in practical application, it would certainly not be that complex, and in actual combat, it would definitely adapt to the situation.
But if one could master the seven swords of Non-Aggression, theoretically almost all moves could be defended against.
Coupled with the nine swords of Punishment, the combination of the two sword arts was even more extensive; theoretically, almost all moves could be countered.
This was a sword art that directly pointed to the essence of swordsmanship, even transcending it.
"The Mohist Sect... is actually this amazing?"
Qingshui admitted that today he had truly had his eyes opened.
The Mohists have journeyed through the world for over two thousand years. Although people often viewed them as artisans, they never lost their chivalrous spirit, producing many heroes and knights, and were certainly not weak in martial prowess.
However, with peace reigning in the country now, Mohist disciples have shifted their efforts to fields that could bring greater help to society and where they were more proficient.
The word "xia" (knight-errant) has long been associated with Mo, giving rise to the term "Mohist knight-errant."
Mozi, that venerable elder, was actually the ancestor of later generations of knight-errants.
The spirit of a knight-errant—with their patriotic sentiments, great righteousness, support for the weak against the strong, and valuing promises over life—originated from that earliest righteous knight who, to prevent war, walked for ten days and nights in straw sandals and coarse clothes, carrying a sword, completely disregarding life and death.
The origins of Non-Aggression and Punishment very likely stemmed from Mo Di.
Qingshui had no direct evidence, but he could glean a great deal from the Non-Aggression Sword Art.
As someone with some achievements in swordsmanship, Qingshui could feel the grand and resilient, fearless and expansive artistic conception within it.
Such a sword art, which directly points to the Great Dao and combines simplicity with complexity, could perhaps only be created by such a first-rate figure from throughout the five millennia of history.
In the Ninja World, Qingshui dared to say he was a first-class swordsman, but in front of the Non-Aggression Sword Art, he knew he still had a long way to go.
It was only after reading the Non-Aggression Sword Art that Qingshui truly glimpsed the threshold of a higher level of swordsmanship, from merely understanding sword techniques and sword stances.
That belonged to the realm of 'intent.'
In contrast, Qingshui didn't have as profound an understanding when reading the Mohist Qi Cultivation Art as he did with the Non-Aggression Sword Art.
After all, for him, this was an entirely new field.
He was just a beginner.
The Mohist Qi Cultivation Art had a total of four stages. The introductory stage was called Against Fate, followed by Understanding Ghosts, Will of Heaven, and Identification with the Superior.
These stages were named after Mozi's writings and philosophies.
It was generally believed that reaching Will of Heaven was already a great achievement. As for Identification with the Superior, in two thousand years, besides Mozi himself, only a handful of people had managed to reach it.
Without exception, these individuals became the absolute tops of the "anomalous" world in their respective eras.
As for the last one, Divine Mechanisms of the Mohist Sect, the DC Universe avatar had already made some progress.
In the DC Universe, Gotham, Watt Tower, in the basement laboratory.
"Materialization, Object Manipulation..."
Qingshui's fingers rubbed a slender steel needle, feeling the Chakra infused within it.
With the common knowledge about the "anomalous" world sent by Meng Xuan, combined with the content from Divine Mechanisms of the Mohist Sect, Qingshui now had a relatively complete concept of the Divine Mechanism Art of the "One Person" world.
The Divine Mechanism Art bears some resemblance to Puppetry, but their differences are far more significant.
While both are methods of object manipulation, Puppetry uses Chakra Threads for temporary control and enhancement, primarily focusing on Puppets and mechanical devices.
The Divine Mechanism Art, however, is not limited to this scope.
They are highly skilled at creating mechanical puppets, but they excel even more at crafting various Magic Tools with astonishing functions.
Puppetry only offers object manipulation, not materialization.
Materialization, as practiced by Artificers in the One Person world, involves using secret techniques to infuse Qi into various materials and objects. They slowly strengthen these items with Qi, enhancing the material and imbuing it with Qi's properties. Finally, they melt and forge it into a Magic Tool, giving the tool various special abilities.
A Magic Tool's strength depends on the Artificer's cultivation and subsequent nurturing. Even after becoming a Magic Tool, secret techniques can still be used to continue infusing Qi into it, increasing its power.
Puppetry in the Naruto World emphasizes object manipulation. A high-grade Puppet can only unleash its full power when wielded by a high-level puppeteer, focusing on individual control.
The Divine Mechanism Art, on the other hand, emphasizes materialization, making the Magic Tool itself powerful.
In the hands of an Artificer with strong object manipulation skills, a Magic Tool can unleash greater power. However, in the hands of an ordinary ability user, most Magic Tools can be used normally as long as the user knows how.
There are also practices that emphasize both materialization and object manipulation, such as the Immortal Slaying Flying Dagger Art of the Jia Village in Shaanxi. They refine weapons with secret techniques from a young age, creating a telepathic connection, and are known as sword immortals.
The pinnacle of the Divine Mechanism Art is Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements, one of the Eight Unique Skills. Compared to conventional Artificers who might not produce many Magic Tools in their lifetime, they craft Magic Tools incredibly fast. Even in combat, they can complete preliminary materialization and object manipulation in just three to five seconds.
The Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism isn't as miraculous as Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements, but it ranks among the top in conventional Artificer techniques. In the ability user world, it's considered alongside Martial Marquis Divine Mechanism and Heavenly Craft Divine Mechanism as one of the "Three Great Divine Mechanisms."
Because materialization is time-consuming, the Magic Tools crafted by Artificers generally aren't large.
According to the methods described in the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism, refining a one-kilogram material takes anywhere from a few months to over a year, and crafting a Magic Tool typically takes one to two years.
While it can't achieve the mass production of Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements, it's still several times faster than other Artificers.
It's just still too long.
"The properties of Chakra and Qi are quite similar, and the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism can also be used. The efficiency of materialization isn't bad, but it's still too slow."
Qingshui cut his palm and dripped blood onto a steel needle to accelerate the materialization process.
This is the Blood Refinement Method recorded in the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism, using Qi-infused blood to accelerate the impregnation of an object.
When the Qi in the blood is depleted, it needs to be replaced. The purer the blood and the richer the Qi, the better the effect. The most refined heart blood yields the best results.
If this method is used excessively, it can be very harmful to the body. However, in moderation, there's no problem.
More gruesome practitioners would even capture other ability users for blood sacrifices.
However, the secret techniques for sacrificing living people have been lost. Even if they existed, no one would dare to use them because various sects and factions forbid such evil arts. But in times of chaos, they would surely be rediscovered.
"With Medical Ninjutsu, I don't lack blood. In fact, for my main body, which possesses Perfect Demonization, blood and Chakra are limitless. But even with that, the speed is still a bit slow."
Qingshui shook his head, flicking a Chakra Thread to connect to the silver needle.
The silver needle had undergone a wave of enhancement, with subtle improvements in strength and Chakra conductivity. It also gained the ability to retain a small amount of Chakra.
People in the Ninja World temporarily boost the power of their ninja tools by injecting Chakra into them. Unless, like a body, it can store Chakra, or like Senju Hashirama, whose dead body could still store Chakra, constant strength enhancement is impossible.
Qi is similar, but after an object undergoes materialization, it can store Qi for a long time. Only if the Magic Tool is unused and unnurtured for too long will the Qi slowly dissipate, causing it to revert to an ordinary item.
Is there a way to store these energies long-term?
Qingshui's eyes shifted slightly. He formed a hand seal with his left hand and pressed it onto the silver needle.
"Ninja Art: Finger Engraving Seal."
Intricate patterns, guided by Qingshui's will, were left on the silver needle, sealing a portion of Qingshui's Chakra within it.
"This way, with the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism's materialization and object manipulation techniques, by resonating the Chakra stored in the silver needle with my own Chakra, I can control it with my thoughts, just like a Magic Tool. Then I can..."
Qingshui picked up the silver needle, flicked it with his fingertip, and sent it flying towards the wall.
It was then stopped by the wall, which had an extremely high security rating and was made entirely of high-strength metal. It clattered to the ground, leaving only a tiny white dot.
"Sir, a small-scale, low-power attack has been detected internally, possibly from a small-caliber firearm. Should I activate the defense system?"
Watos's electronic voice sounded from the suspended speakers.
"No need."
Qingshui said, speechless.
Then, with a wave of his right hand, without even using Chakra Threads, the silver needle wobbled slowly, like a turtle walking, floating sluggishly to Qingshui's eyes.
Sigh, the needle's tip was bent ninety degrees.
However, his method was indeed effective. Sealing Jutsu could indeed complement the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism. This needle could truly be considered a Magic Tool.
Even if it was the crudest, most primitive Magic Tool, if he hadn't temporarily added an extra layer of Chakra using a throwing weapon technique, this needle wouldn't have had the power of a small-caliber pistol bullet.
Its true ability was the turtle-like speed when it flew back. In practical use, it could only be treated as a normal throwing weapon, slightly accelerating its flight speed and making it easier to retrieve after battle.
And its strength wasn't high either.
"While silver has high energy conductivity, its texture is too soft. It seems I'll have to make compromises, finding or inventing materials with both sufficient strength and conductivity for refining. And the Mohist Sect Divine Mechanism... I'll have to put more effort into cultivating another skill."
Qingshui casually placed the silver needle back on the table and rested his chin in thought.
Regarding his ninja training, he had mostly reached the limits of a conventional ninja. Breathing Style was even more advanced.
In terms of Ninjutsu, without Otsutsuki Clan blood, relying solely on Separation Release and his Chakra manipulation abilities and Nature and Form Transformation, his power had reached the approximate limit for conventional ninjas. He could only maintain it; new breakthroughs would be difficult.
The only areas where he could still potentially make progress were Puppetry and Wind Release.
He was currently close to the peak level in Puppetry, with a little room for improvement. However, if he could integrate the Divine Mechanism Art with Sealing Jutsu, and then combine that with Puppetry, its potential upper limit could be significantly raised.
As for Wind Release, that was because he possessed the Airflow Manipulation ability, which allowed him to break through the upper limits of Wind Release Ninjutsu.
However, only this clone and his main body possessed the Airflow Manipulation ability.
The most suitable method he could think of was to follow the example of the Cloud Hidden Village and develop a Chakra Mode corresponding to the relevant element.
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